Bava Metzia 54: Second Tithe Redemption and the Additional One-Fifth Payment

Second tithe is the section of produce separated after a farmer has already separated and given teruma of their harvests to the priests and then first tithe to the levis.  That second tithe is another tenth of the farmer's harvest.  On years one, two, four and five, it is brought to Jerusalem and eaten there.  It is given to the poor on years three and six (year seven is shemita and farms are not harvested).  

Because it may not be practical to bring that much produce to Jerusalem, farmers are allowed to redeem their second tithe for money which is spent on food bought and eaten only in Jerusalem.  It costs an additional one-fifth to bring that money to Jerusalem.  But is this payment required?  Is a person punished for eating food paid for with the second tithe money if that person has not paid the additional fee?

The rabbis disagree about whether or not this food can be eaten.  We learn from notes in Steinsaltz that the rabbis decide to use more than one opinion in their halacha.  Rabbi Eliezer's view that the second tithe may be eaten without the additional fee is accepted on Shabbat.  However, on weekdays, the halacha follows Rabbi Yehoshua's view that a person may not eat the second tithe without paying the additional one-fifth.

Rav Pappa introduces a wonderfully 'modern', psychologically-based approach to this debate.  He suggests that both arguments are actually responses to a concern that people will not take responsibility and pay that additional charge.  After all, this would be the fourth "tax" on their produce.